Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (15-5) and Uriah Hall (16-9) will join UFC 258 on February 13, 2021.
News of the fight was first reported by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. The 185lb duo fought once before, last sharing the cage in 2010 outside the UFC. Since then, both athletes have had very different careers. Starting with Weidman, who transcended into the top of the division fast, and became champion in 2013.
Conversely, Hall’s career took a turn when he came up short on the Ultimate Fighter 17: Finale against Kelvin Gastelum. However, it was clear he would be a threat in the division with the emphatic knockouts he displayed on the show. After a couple of those early performances, Dana White himself compared Hall to the likes of Anderson Silva. Soon after, however, Hall suffered a few losses, and those comparisons began to fade away.
Fast forward ten years: Hall recently finished Silva and possibly put an end to the legend’s career in the UFC. On the other hand, Weidman’s career has taken hits, but he recently rebounded with a win over Omari Akhmedov.
In the first Weidman and Hall fight, it was high stakes with the Ring of Combat middleweight championship on the line. “The All-American” would demonstrate how well rounded he was even then with a victory in the first round by TKO. After Hall finished Silva in the fourth round of his recent headliner, it was clear he was headed for bigger fights. He now he gets the rare chance to avenge a loss on his record, and set himself up for title contention.
The UFC’s February 13 card does not yet have an official location or broadcast plans announced.
